Row: Bess Price Australian politician has sparked a race row after saying prison is good for Aboriginies

An Australian politician has sparked a race row after saying prison is good for Aboriginies as 'it means they get to spend time with their families.'

Bess Price, an MP for the sitting Country
Liberal Party made the comments after the Legislative Assembly agreed to changes in mandatory sentencing
for violent offenders.

Price, an Aboriginal Australian activist, was responding to the
Labor Party's opposition to the law changes, which they said would see
prison numbers increase significantly.

The member for Stuart argued that jail had
benefits for young Aborigines.

'While they are being imprisoned,
they don't get to drink, they don't get into trouble, they are fed three
times a day,' she said.

'They are in there with their family members.

'They sleep in their language groups and they all come out of prison much healthier.'

Labor's Member for Nhulunbuy, Lynne
Walker, said Price's comments were a 'sad indictment it is, of where our
system is,' reported TNT magazine.

'When the Member for Stuart says that our families want our
young people locked up, because prisons; they're safe places, it's where
people can dry out for three months, it's a safe environment and where,
sadly, a lot of family members are in there, so they're not alone.'

Controversial: Price said that jail had benefits for young Aborigines. 'While they are being imprisoned, they don't get to drink, they don't get into trouble'

She told Parliament she was saddened by Ms Price's statement and said it painted a disturbing scenario.